Obituary notices: John Hamlyn

Trans. Devon. Assoc., vol. 31, (1899) pp. 52-53.

Prepared by Michael Steer

The most prominent benefactors of the town of Buckfastleigh were the Hamlyn family, of which the late-lamented John was a member. They were the original owners of the woollen mills up until 1920. Together with other philanthropists in the town, the Hamlyn's erected new cottages. In 1887 they were instrumental in the building of a Town Hall and a community building to celebrate the Golden Jubilee. Land was also made available at this time for further public facilities that included Victoria Park, the tennis courts and the swimming pool. Google with the Archive Organization has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. The Internet Archive makes available, in its Community Texts Collection (originally known as Open Source Books), books that have been digitised by Google from a number of libraries. These are books on which copyright has expired, and are available free for educational and research use. This rare book was produced from a copy held by University of Michigan Library, and is available from the Internet Archive.

Obituary Notice compiled by

The Rev W Harpley MA, Hon Secretary of the Association

John Hamlyn was the second son of the late Mr William Hamlyn, woollen manufacturer of Buckfastleigh, and was for several years after coming of age a member of the firm of Hamlyn Brothers, and superintended the tanning branch of the business. The great interest he took in all country sports, especially in hunting, led him early to retire from business, which enabled him to devote most of his time to his favourite pursuits. He was an active supporter of most of the undertakings in his immediate neighbourhood; he took a warm interest in the public recreation ground, and more recent public parks and baths- a Diamond Jubilee present made by his family to the town of Buckfastleigh.

Mr Hamlyn joined the Association in 1880, on the occasion of the last Totnes meeting, and assisted in entertaining the party at Brook after the excursion to Holne Chase, which proved a feature of that meeting. He died at Fullaford in September, 1898, after a long and trying illness which he bore with great patience, at the age of 47, leaving a widow and three sons to mourn his loss; and the charitable and social societies of Buckfastleigh also feel the removal of a warm and sympathetic friend.